Exploring Bilingualism in Non-Verbal Individuals

In this episode of The Exceptional Humans Podcast, host Penelope delves into the intriguing question: Can someone be non-verbal and bilingual? She explores the definition of non-verbal communication, its prevalence in individuals with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD level 3), and the various augmentative and alternative communication methods. Penelope discusses the cultural and societal assumptions that often overlook bilingualism in non-verbal individuals and shares real-life examples highlighting the challenges and implications of excluding bilingual elements in argumentative and alternative communication. The episode emphasises the importance of acknowledging bilingualism to achieve better outcomes for those with non-verbal communication preferences.

00:00 Introduction to The Exceptional Humans Podcast

00:24 Understanding Non-Verbal Communication

01:25 Challenges and Assumptions in Bilingualism

02:32 Behavioural Perspective on Language

03:37 Real-World Examples of Non-Verbal Bilingualism

05:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

06:08 Acknowledgements and References

Sources

Johnston, J.M. (2014) Radical behaviorism for ABA practitioners. Cornwall on Hudson, NY: Sloan Publishing. 

Kay-Raining Bird, E., Genesee, F. and Verhoeven, L. (2016) ‘Bilingualism in children with developmental disorders: A narrative review’, Journal of Communication Disorders, 63, pp. 1–14. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2016.07.003. 

Oksaar, E. (1989). Psycholinguistic aspects of bilingualism. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 10(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.1989.9994361

Transcript

Penelope Webb: 0:05

Welcome to The Exceptional Humans Podcast, where we discuss questions related to language, identity, education, and behavior. I'm your host, Penelope and I have a background in education, linguistics, and behavioral science. Our question today is, can someone be non-verbal and bilingual? The term nonverbal refers to someone using communication not based on speech, although it typically does not exclude the use of speech sounds. Whilst there are many reasons why someone's preferred communication style may be nonverbal, it is often a characteristic of severe autism spectrum disorder, also referred to in Australia as a SD level three. When someone presents with a nonverbal communication preference, there is typically a focus on ensuring that the individual has access to augmentative and alternative communication, which may include the use of gesture and body language communication boards, picture exchange systems, sign language, and speech generation devices. While motivated by the desire to ensure that the person is able to access basic needs, interact with others, and improve quality of life, there is a number of underlying assumptions around language that can create barriers to effective implementation. In her article, psycholinguistic aspects of Bilingualism l's, Oscar explores the assumption that monolingualism relying on a single language for communication is the norm for humans, despite bilingualism, relying on two or more languages for communication being more common. There is a number of cultural and societal systems, including English being considered the lingua franca, the language most commonly used between people who speak different languages that reinforce this assumption. In English speaking communities, this often erases bilingual opportunities and bilingual identity for people with ASD three and other developmental delays. If we use Grosjean's definition of bilinguals as those people who need or use two or more languages in their everyday lives, it's easy to see how this process of acquiring multiple languages may be overlooked in people whose preferred means of communication is not dependent on speech. Shifting from the linguistic perspective to a behavioral approach, it is important to consider the behavior occurring inside the body a private event. In addition to the behaviors we can easily observe. A public event that thoughts, feelings, and emotions of private events is easily understood, but considering language as a private event is often a little bit more problematic from a behavioral perspective, thinking is considered a private verbal behavior and involves the use of our verbal repertoire learned through our interactions with the language community. Therefore, a person exposed to multiple language communities would be reasonably expected to acquire a verbal repertoire linked to those languages. Whether or not that person uses a public verbal behavior to communicate with others should not exclude the person from being considered bilingual that explanation may sound merely academic. However, it does have practical implications for members of our community. In one example, I experienced a communication board was being implemented with an adult living in accommodation, adjoining their family home. Although the family spoke Arabic at home and the nonverbal adult receiving support responded to both Arabic and English, the communication board had only English prompts to support picture cues. A conversation with stakeholders revealed that bilingualism had not been considered when developing the communication board with a focus being instead on the person's nonverbal communication preference. Interestingly, there seemed to be a reluctance on behalf of the Allied Health Professional implementing the communication board to include Arabic prompts despite a translator being available. In another example, a behavior-based program centered on engaging with a picture exchange communication system, also known as PS was designed for a non-verbal, primary aged child. The family spoke Hindi as their first language, and the child responded to both Hindi and English. The program being implemented required the child to use PS to request access to a preferred activity. Every time a demand was placed, the PEX cards used, displayed a picture and a written prompt in English presenting the same issue as the previous example. Unfortunately, the program centered on the child having unrestricted access to highly preferred items, in this case, simultaneous access to an iPad and the tv, which presented a conflict with the family's cultural values and their identified language goals for their child. The family had expressed their concerns and frustrations with the program on multiple occasions. However, the response they received from the program designer centered on references to empirical research with the implication that they lacked both sufficient knowledge and language to engage in a meaningful conversation about their child support. In both of these examples, an acknowledgment of bilingualism alongside a nonverbal communication preference would've resulted in better outcomes for all stakeholders. However, I would like to know your thoughts and feelings about this question, as well as any experiences that you might have had wishing you health and happiness until the next time we meet. The Exceptional Humans Podcast is written and recorded on Kabi Cubby and Gender Barra lands. We would like to pay our respects to their elders past, present, and emerging, and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. If you would like more information on the sources used in this episode, please refer to the show notes.